Alaska volcano erupts with new intensity, disrupts local flights

June 25, 2013|Reuters

By Yereth Rosen

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, June 25 (Reuters) - An Alaska volcanospewing ash and lava for the past six weeks erupted with newintensity early on Tuesday, belching a plume of cinders 5 miles(8 km) into sky and onto a nearby town and disrupting localflights, officials said.

The eruptions from Pavlof Volcano, on the Alaska Peninsula590 miles (950 km) southwest of Anchorage, were its mostpowerful since its current eruptive phase began with low-levelrumblings in mid-May, according to scientists at thefederal-state Alaska Volcano Observatory.

The latest series of more powerful ash-producing blasts fromthe crater of the 8,261-foot (2,518-meter) volcano started lateon Monday and continued overnight into Tuesday, scientists said.

"For some reason we can't explain, it picked up in intensityand vigor," said Tina Neal, an observatory geologist.

While the ash plume has so far remained too low in the skyto affect jetliner traffic, topping out at an altitude of 28,000 feet, smaller planes had to fly around it, officialssaid. Anchorage-based PenAir canceled one flight and re-routedothers, said Missy Roberts, a company vice president.

Ash has dusted King Cove, a town of about 900 people located30 miles southwest of Pavlof, the Alaska Volcano Observatoryreported.

The National Weather Service issued an ash advisory for theregion, warning of breathing problems for people withrespiratory ailments and potential damage to exposed electronicequipment.

A second Alaska Peninsula volcano continued a low-intensityeruption, the observatory said. Ash from Veniaminof Volcano, 485miles (780 km) southwest of Anchorage, has been limited to thearea around its 8,225-foot (2,507-meter) summit, the observatorysaid.

The eruptions at Pavlof and Veniaminof are unrelated,scientists say.

A third, more remote, Alaska volcano remained restless butwas not currently spouting lava or ash, the observatory said.Cleveland Volcano, 940 miles (1,512 km) southwest of Anchorage,began an on-and-off eruptive phase in mid-2011 but has notproduced an explosive eruption since May 6, according to theobservatory.